If They Can Make it Here: Mets at Phillies Gamethread, September 20, 2013

So here's a thing you may not know about Chicago: people who live here or in the vicinity all their lives don't know anything about the geography of New York.

I mean, I can't obviously speak for all of Chicago. I'm sure there are any number of lifelong Chicagoans who frequent this very site (HappyHuman, you out there friend? We're worried after the Sox and the Phillies' seasons) who know basically how New York looks. But in every literature class I've taught that references New York City, I've had to draw a terrible map showing my students where the boroughs are, what Manhattan is, what people mean when they say Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, even Long Island. Weirdly, Staten Island hasn't come up, but I expect it'll be central to the Wu Tang Syllabus I'm working up.

Anyway, today I was doing this map, and I apologized for its accuracy by saying that I wasn't from New York. "I'm from Philadelphia," I said, "I like it better there." And the weird thing is that it was true; I love Brooklyn, and I'll always be connected fondly with Chicago, but Philadelphia is really the best. Not a popular opinion, but I'd guess I'm among friends. Anyway, in series like this, where nothing is on the line for either team, I tend to feel that the Phillies actually represent the city in some way. I don't hate the Mets anymore, but it'd give me a little lift (now that we're out of protected pick probability) to see some defense of Philly.

As long as it's not the Eagles' defense.

Daisuke Matsuzaka

#16 / Pitcher / New York Mets

Height: 6-0

Weight: 185

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 13, 1980

Cole Hamels

#35 / Pitcher / Philadelphia Phillies

Height: 6-3

Weight: 195

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Dec 27, 1983